Blue Ocean
by Bahamuts AngelVII
Summary: So, who? You can only have one of us. Not both. One. Who do you love? Who do you want to be with the rest of your life? [ Cloud x ? ]
1. Prologue

**Blue Ocean - Prologue**  
  
_By:_ Bahamuts AngelVII  
  
_A/N:_ Italicized words means people are thinking.  
  
Tifa was sleeping on her bed in Costa De Sol, when her alarm clock went off. She jerked awake, and she looked around her. She still felt like everything was a dream, defeating Sephiroth and saving the world. It only happened last night, after all. _Aeris's prayer did not go in vain...I miss her so much...  
_Tifa stood up, and walked outside to see the rising sun. It was very beautiful. She wished Cloud was here. Or the others... _Hey, where ARE the others?_ She went back inside, and looked around. She noticed Cait Sith "sleeping" on the couch; Cid, Vincent, Yuffie, and Barrett were on the floor, spread out in sleeping bags. Red XIII had gone home to Cosmo Canyon.  
Tifa gently woke up Barrett, and stood over him.  
  
"What...? It's only 6 a.m. Tifa. Go back to sle--zzzZZ" Barrett fell back asleep.  
  
"Barrett!!! Cloud is gone. Do you know where he is?" She playfully kicked Barrett in his back.  
  
"Cloud is gone? Oh...Ummm...he told me that he was going to go visit Aeris's church. He had a feeling it would still be there. He left last night. Said somethin' about 'Aeris's spirit is calling to him.' Or something...Now, I'm trying to sleep. Goodnight..." Barrett dozed off again.  
  
Tifa was worried about Cloud, and she wanted to see him. Even if she could only be his friend. But she was also excited about the prospect of meeting Aeris again. Tifa knew that Cloud still loved Aeris, but she didn't hold anything against her friend. _If they were meant to be together, then they will be...right?_ She silently walked out of the mansion, and into the sunrise, which was still, well, rising. She sighed, and walked over to her Gold Chocobo.  
  
_A/N_: I know prologues are supposed to be longer, but bear with me, please!!!


	2. Chapter 1

**Blue Ocean - Chapter 1**  
  
_By_: Bahamuts AngelVII  
  
_A/N_: This is kind of OOCness. A lot of people don't think that Tifa tried to be friends with Aeris... She did. Well anyways, italics mean thinking. Oh. And guys, I added a little something to the flashback!!! Oh, and in the flashback they're about... thirteen. Unless they were already thirteen. Then they're the same age. Oh well. I also know you guys thought my prologue was good, and I'm sad to say you'll probably be disappointed with this first chapter. I have a tendency to mess everything up. And there are a few spoilers if you haven't gotten past the first disc.

"C'mon Goldie. We're gonna go to Aeris's church. Where Cloud is...Let's go." Tifa said.  
  
Tifa and her Chocobo glided on the clear blue ocean to get to Midgar. The ocean spray woke Tifa up completely, and she smiled. She felt like she was back on the journey with Cloud and the others. It made her feel good. Goldie "Warked" when Tifa started laughing. As they drew closer to land, Tifa became quieter, the happiness becoming uneasiness. Finally, they reached Midgar. Tifa tied her Chocobo's reins to a bent up street light, and picked her way around the rubble and trash. She finally found a clearing, and there was Aeris's Church. It seemed like it didn't even feel the impact of meteor.

Tifa looked around, and saw Cloud's Chocobo. _Cloud..._ She was afraid to look in the church, afraid not to. She decided to peek inside, first. She would have felt like a fool if she just barged in and Cloud was there alone. He would probably call her crazy.

She slowly pushed the door open and peeked around the door. Cloud was sitting in the middle of Aeris's flower bed, facing the front of the church. He looked up at the sky, as if he would find Aeris there. Finally, her sweet voice spoke out of the darkness.  
  
"Cloud...I love you so much. I'm so glad you came to visit me. I knew you would come." Aeris said.  
  
"I love you too, Aeris. Why did you call me here? Where are you?" Cloud asked, looking around.  
  
"You can't see me because I do not have that ability yet, but never mind. I have something to tell you. There is a way I can come back. But... I don't know if you would do it." Aeris's sweet voice became silent. She waited for Cloud to answer.  
  
"A-Aeris, I would do anything for you...Tell me, what is it?!" He was anxious to find out what he needed to do.  
  
"You need to sacrifice someone so I can live." Her voice was silent for a moment.  
  
"Well, what's wrong with that?" Cloud asked.  
  
"It has to be...Your closest friend..." Aeris said responded.  
  
Cloud looked down at his hands, unsure of what to say. "Sacrifice my closest friend? Tifa is my best friend, but...She's...I love her so much. She helped me out of the life stream, she did everything for me. I can't throw it all away..."  
  
"I'm sorry Cloud. I didn't want it to be like this. Sacrificing one to save another? When I first read the Ancient scriptures, I wasn't sure if it was real... But now I know, it is... Cloud, are you willing to take the chance?"  
  
"Aeris, isn't there some other way?" Cloud asked.  
  
He was getting worried. Tifa was sitting there, and she tried not to cry. A small whimper escaped her lips, but she quickly shut her mouth. What would Aeris and Cloud do if they saw her? _Oh, no... Aeris isn't really here in the church. What if she can see me now? Does she see me? If she does is she going to say anything about it? I'd better get out fast... _Only one sparkling tear escaped her flickering ruby eyes. _I would gladly give my life for Aeris and Cloud. Well, maybe not gladly, but if it means that Cloud will be happy, I guess that I would._ Tifa started to listen to their conversation again.  
  
"Cloud... I know how much it hurts. I'm so sorry you had to... to decide. If... If you want me to come back, Cloud, you must sacrifice her. I know it's hard, Cloud, but you can do it... But you must hurry. The blue moon is coming up soon, and if you must sacrifice her on that night, at exactly twelve. I can help you Cloud. Haven't I always helped you?" Aeris asked him.  
  
"Aeris! There must be some other way! I won't sacrifice Tifa!" Cloud shouted up towards the sky.  
  
"Cloud, this is the only way. Please, if you want me back, then you will sacrifice her. You will."  
  
"Aeris," Cloud began, and when he didn't get a response he yelled, "AERIS!"

"..." Was all he got.

"WAIT, AERIS!" Cloud cried out, but his voice echoed back to him, taunting him, reminding him of what he could never have...  
  
Tifa had crept back to the entrance and stood up, like she just got there. She slipped outside the door and breathed in deeply. She wanted to make sure she didn't start crying again when she entered. Once she was sure she was fine, she smoothed down her hair and her skirt.

She opened the door and cringed as it creaked open. She wished it didn't make so much noise. She glanced towards the spot that Cloud had been before, but he wasn't there. Finally, she spotted him. The view made her want to cry, but she knew she had to be strong.

There Cloud was, his whole body shaking, his head buried in his face. His hands were soaked with tears, and they ran down his cheeks and dripped off his chin. The tears stained his already dark blue shirt even darker. He was too busy drowning in his own misery to hear Tifa whispering his name and walking close to him. Finally, when she put her hand on his shoulder, he quickly snapped up and turned around.

"Tif?" He asked, unsure whether he was really seeing his friend or not.

"Yeah... It's me. Cloud, are you alright?" Tifa asked, and she took a place next to him.

"... Yeah... Well, I saw Aeris... Or rather, heard her." Cloud said. He didn't look directly at her.

"Really? Cloud... This is so big. I mean... wow..." Tifa said, her real emotions coming through.  
  
Cloud repeated the whole conversation with Aeris over to Tifa.  
  
"Well, Cloud. I don't know what to say... Except, you know I'm your best friend. I'll do anything for you. You can give me up if you want." Tifa suddenly seemed very intent with making a cuff mark on the dirt.  
  
"Tifa! Don't say that! I would never sacrifice you. Tifa, I'm so scared. I know this isn't the biggest decision, but I really don't know..." Cloud said.

"Cloud... I'll do anything to make you happy! It doesn't matter what. Cloud, if you're happy I'm happy. Even when I'm gone, I guarantee that I'll be watching over you." Tifa replied, her voice quaking with every word.

Cloud noticed she said the word 'when', as if she expected that he would want to give her up to get Aeris back. He stood up and hugged her.

"I don't know what to do..." He muttered.

"Cloud, let's go and see this "Ritual" that Aeris has to do." Tifa said, taking control.  
  
"... Okay. Tifa, I'm trusting you with this... Let's call the rest of the gang later. They'll understand. Should we go now? We both have Chocobos."  
  
"Umm...Sure. Let's go!"  
  
Cloud and Tifa set out on their Gold Chocobos, riding next to each other. They chatted about the old times, when Aeris was still alive, and small things they remembered. When they reached the ocean, they didn't know which way to go.  
  
"Cloud, where are we going to go now?" Tifa asked openly.  
  
"Ummm... Let's go to Wutai. If we need to fight anything, we're gonna need our materia back for a while." Cloud decided.  
  
Yuffie had made a quick stop after the fight with Sephiroth to drop off the materia, just in case Cloud and the others decided they wanted to keep it. Tifa realized it was a brilliant plan. If Cloud said he wanted it, Yuffie would have an excuse. So no matter what, Yuffie won.

Tifa smiled fondly of Yuffie, and then turned to face Cloud.  
  
"Great idea! Come on, I'll race you!" Tifa yelled.  
  
They picked up speed across the ocean. They laughed like old times, and Cloud looked over at Tifa. He loved her dazzling cherry eyes, and her chocolate brown hair. The added spray of the ocean glimmered. He absolutely loved his best friend. Tifa looked over at Cloud and smiled and laughed. To Cloud, Tifa had the most magnificent smile. It could brighten anyone's dreary and lonely day.  
  
"What are you looking at Cloud?" Tifa asked. She blushed and turned forward.  
  
"N-nothing..." Cloud told her.  
  
"I was looking at you." He murmured under his breath.  
  
"What was that Cloud?" Tifa asked again.  
  
"What?! I didn't say anything!" Cloud exclaimed.  
  
"Okay...Whatever you say." Tifa laughed.  
  
Cloud laughed with her.  
  
"We're almost there! I'm gonna to beat you Cloud!" Tifa called to him.  
  
"No you're not Tifa!" Cloud replied.  
  
They both pushed their Chocobos as hard as they could. Cloud reached the beach first. He stood there waiting for Tifa. Tifa's Chocobo stopped at the beach, and she went flying right into Cloud's arms. They toppled over, and Tifa fell on top of Cloud.  
  
"Are you alright, Tifa?" Cloud exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah! I'm alright because you saved me." Tifa blushed again and helped Cloud to his feet.  
  
"Yeah right! You could've saved yourself. Aeris always needed my help." Cloud replied. He appeared to be in deep thought.  
  
"Cloud? Are you okay?" Tifa lightly touched his arm.  
  
"What? Yeah...Yeah, I'm okay. Let's go to Godo's house!" Cloud and Tifa entered Wutai.  
  
Tifa and Cloud walked over the bridge and into Godo's home.  
  
"Hello? Godo? Are you home?" Tifa called out into the house.  
  
"Who's there? Is that you Tifa?" Godo replied back.  
  
"Yeah. It's me and Cloud!" Tifa called as she walked down the empty corridor.  
  
Cloud followed her and looked in the rooms hoping to see some sign of Godo. At the end of the corridor, he looked in a room to see Godo organizing the materia from Cloud and his companions. The glowing orbs sat on small pillows in a giant glass case. Cloud never realized how much materia that they actually gathered. He smiled at the materia. He remember his first one...  
  
"Hey Godo!" Cloud came up and slapped him in the back.  
  
"Hey kids! How's it goin'?" Godo replied laughing.  
  
"Good. We came back though. We need to borrow some of our materia back for a while. Just me and Tif." Cloud answered him.  
  
"Okay...just take what you like!" Godo laughed again and strode out of the room.  
  
"Thanks Godo!" Tifa yelled after him.  
  
"No problem! Just be sure to return it." Godo replied.  
  
"Cloud, what should we take?" Tifa turned towards Cloud and asked.  
  
"Hmm... A few summons, some restore materia, revive, ultima... HP plus materia... That should do it!" Cloud answered as he picked up the materia.  
  
Cloud passed some over to Tifa, who quickly attached it to her gloves. She examined her gloves. They were a little frayed around the edges, from when Tifa hit and punched wild beasts and creatures unmercifully. They helped a lot in their battle with Sephiroth.

Just then, Godo walked in and told them they could stay the night. Cloud almost rejected his idea, but then looked out the window. It was surprisingly late evening, and the sun was starting to set. He nodded and thanked Godo.

"Well, that's great. You can stay in here. Now, I'm going to go prepare dinner. Why don't you go out and enjoy the sunset from the mountain? I hear it's very beautiful and romantic." Godo winked and walked into the kitchen.

Awkwardly, Tifa and Cloud stood uncomfortably beside each other. When it came to romantics, neither one of them were that good. Tifa wished she could be better at expressing her feelings, but sadly it wasn't so. Finally, Cloud wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"So, Tifa. Should we go to the mountain?" Cloud asked.

"Sure." Tifa said, blushing.

He led her up to the mountain, holding her hand the whole way so she wouldn't fall. When they got to the top, Tifa looked at the sunset. She gaped and stared.

The sunset was so beautiful, the sun radiating a stunning orange-red hue, and the clouds around it were turned purple, red, orange, and pink, reflecting off the suns rays. Tifa wished she could hold this view within her reach forever. She didn't understand. She always had to do something in the face of beauty. She just stared until her eyes burned. She turned to face Cloud.

He was also gazing into the deep orange sun. He finally noticed her looking at him, and he smiled gently. The smile played on his lips, then jumped to play on hers. She smiled even wider when he put his arm around her shoulder.

"It's so beautiful..." Tifa asked.

"Yeah... Yeah. It really is." Cloud responded.

They watched the sun keep setting, until they could only see orange-red beams on the horizon. The clouds turned purple and blue and up above Tifa the skies were turning jet black and the stars started twinkling. It reminded her of so long ago, when she met Cloud by the well...

**Flashback**

_"Sorry I'm late. You said you wanted to talk about something?" Tifa asked Cloud. Her sparkling blue dress shimmered with the light of the stars above._

_"Come this spring... I'm leaving this town for Midgar." Cloud mumbled, wondering if Tifa could hear him. She did._

_"...All boys are leaving our town." She said, a little more to herself then to him. He looked up at her, and then walked behind the well. He got up on top and looked down at her. She smiled up at him._

_"But I'm different from all of them. I'm not just going to find a job. I want to join SOLDIER. I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth!" Cloud said, a little louder. Tifa turned away and looked at her feet which were dangling over the well's edge._

_"Sephiroth... The Great Sephiroth. Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER?" She asked, looking back up at him._

_"...I probably won't be able to come back to this town for a while." He started mumbling again, and Tifa stood up. She walked up to him, and she looked upwards. Their faces were only inches apart._

_"Will you be in the newspapers if you do well?" She asked, almost whispering._

_"I'll try." He said. He hadn't backed away yet, although part of him told him to._

_"Hey, why don't we make a promise? Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind... You'll come save me, all right?" She asked. She reached up and pushed back some of his spiky blond hair._

_"What?" He asked her. He heard her perfectly, but he wondered exactly what she meant._

_"Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to at least experience that once." She explained further._

_"What?" He asked again. He understood completely, but he wondered if she was serious or if she was just kidding. There faces were very close now, there noses practically touching._

_"Come on! Promise me!" She whispered, and put her hand on his neck. He reached out closer to her._

_"All right... I promise." He whispered back, and the gaps between their mouths disappeared._

_Tifa noticed Cloud had very sensuous lips, very full and smooth. Finally, she felt his lips leave her, and she yearned for more. She didn't say anything. She looked up at the stars, and so did he. They both saw a shooting star. Tifa closed her eyes gently and wished on the star. When she opened her eyes, she saw Cloud's were opening too. She looked at Cloud and murmured the words she never thought she could force herself to say, but when she did, it felt perfectly right._

_"I love you, Cloud."_

**End Flashback**

Now, the sky was completely black, with only the brightest stars shining in the night sky. A blue hue hovered in the sky, and Tifa felt like crying. It was so beautiful; it sent shivers down her spine. Cloud once again wrapped his arms around her. She rested back into him and they sat together in that position for a long time.

Tifa breathed in Cloud's smell, and she wished she could stay like this forever. He held her tightly as the cold air wrapped around them. She felt her legs starting to get cold and she just held on to Cloud tighter. She then felt a blanket fall on her legs. Cloud had brought a dark blue blanket to cover her up. She smiled.

Tifa wondered if Cloud remembered their first kiss. She wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't, because of all his trauma and confusing his life. She mustered up the courage to ask him... No, to probably confuse him even more.

"Cloud?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember..." She began, unsure of whether to continue.

"Remember what? Tif?" He asked, shifting his position to look at her.

"When we... Our... Kiss...?" She forced out the words one at a time.

Tifa looked away so she wouldn't have to see the look on Cloud's face, lest it be disgust or confusion, or any other face for that matter.

"Kiss..." He whispered, almost as if he was pondering the words, then he nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. I remember our kiss. I... That was... I loved it." He said, and it was his turn to blush.

"Really? Me too." Tifa asked him, and she smiled.

The awkwardness had once again found its way into their conversation. Cloud had an idea, but wondered if Tifa would go for it. He collected his courage. Cloud placed a kiss on Tifa's mouth, and she found herself wrapping her arms around him. After a few moments, they let go and smiled.

"Just like before, isn't it?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, just like before." She replied.

The air was still chilly, but the atmosphere was a very romantic one. At least, it was, until Godo's voice pierced through the air and startled them both.

"Tifa! Cloud! There you are. I was afraid something happened to you!!! It's going to get below zero degrees up here, and you're just sitting around and..." Godo started, but realized they were in the middle of 'something'.

_Ah, well, it's too late now, little kids. _Godo thought to himself, and continued on with his stern lecture. _Poor Yuffie. She must've gotten one of these everyday. _Cloud thought. He felt some sorrow for the girl who stole their materia practically once a week. _Those times are over. I need to adjust. _He thought again.

"You could freeze to death! Come one, let's go down. Follow me." He said as he turned around.

Tifa and Cloud followed him down the mountain, holding onto one each another. Cloud did his best to keep Tifa from falling. She held onto him until they reached the bottom of the mountain, and then she let go. They ran ahead of Godo and bounded up the stairs. It was cold outside, and Tifa was starting to feel the effects because she was no longer by Cloud. The inside of the house was very warm, and Tifa was grateful.

After a splendid dinner, Cloud and Tifa were alone, sleeping in Yuffie's room. The lights were out, but the full moon from outside provided a solemn but beautiful lighting. Tifa crawled next to Cloud.

"Cloud, since I'm going to sacrifice myself, do you think we could go to Gold Saucer for one last time? I would really enjoy it." She asked him.

"Huh? Tifa, you're not sacrificing yourself! But yeah, we can go to Gold Saucer." He said.

He playfully pushed her over, and she giggled and pushed him back.

"Cloud... I am going to sacrifice myself. I know... I've always known that you two were right. I've seen you, Cloud. When she was around there was this sparkle in your eyes. But when she left us, the light behind your eyes went out. There was a sparkle only she could give you. She loved you, Cloud. I know you loved her too." Tifa said, now very serious.

"But, Tifa. I love you too... You've been there for me. I can't throw it all awa—"He started.

"Cloud. If you let me go, I will be happy. You'll be happy... because you'll have Aeris. Cloud, tell me. Are you really happy?" She asked him, her eyes boring into his.

"Of course I am... Well... Actually, I really miss Aeris." Cloud murmured, saying word by word.

"Exactly. Just let me go." She said.

"I... I... Okay. But I don't feel good... About you leaving." Cloud replied.

"Why?" She asked him.

"Well... You knew Aeris. She was so, I don't know. Immature? Maybe not. But she didn't seem to cope well when others were sad... I mean, what if I got lost in the life stream again? Only you can help me, Tifa. Aeris wouldn't be able to do anything. Tifa, you're the light of my life. I... You are my true friend." He answered.

Tifa was taken aback. She never really saw this side of Cloud until now. The only other time she saw it was when Aeris died... How she hated to think about it. But nonetheless, it came back into her memory.

**Flashback**

_Cloud's group headed to the City. Cloud looked around and saw Aeris locked in prayer up on a beautiful altar. The crystals shimmered green, purple, and blue. Cloud signaled the others to stay where they were, and he jumped up to where she was. Suddenly, Cloud lost control of his body he pulled his sword out. He held it high above his head, getting ready to bring it down on Aeris, making her die._

_"Cloud!" Yuffie cried out._

_"Stop it!!" Tifa said, afterwards. Tears stung her eyelids._

_"Ugh... what are you making me do?" Cloud muttered to himself._

_Cloud stopped himself, but it was too late. He looked up to see Sephiroth coming down at incredible speeds, with his masamune pointed down, ready to go right through Aeris. Cloud couldn't react fast enough. The masamune cleanly cut right through Aeris, and she fell forward. Right before she died, she saw Cloud's face. Sephiroth disappeared, but his voice boomed out in the darkness. Cloud watched Aeris's hair band split, and her white materia bounce its way into the deep depths of the clear water. He could see it shining a bright yellow color._

_"...Aeris. This can't be real!" Cloud screamed, reaching down to cuddle Aeris's body in his arms._

_"Do not worry. Soon the girl will become part of the Planet's energy. All that is left is to go north. The 'Promised Land' waits for me over the snowy fields. There I will become a new being by uniting with the planet. As will this girl..." Sephiroth said calmly._

_"...Shut up. The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing. Aeris is gone. Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry... or get angry.... What about us... what are WE supposed to do? What about my pain? My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!" Cloud yelled out._

_Tifa and Yuffie never saw him like this. So full of emotion. They were about to run up to hug him, but Sephiroth kept talking._

_"What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me you have feelings too?" Sephiroth said, his voice angry._

_"Of course! Who do you think I am!?" Cloud was confused, alone, afraid. He didn't want to hear what was coming next._

_"Ha, ha, ha.... Stop acting as if you were sad. There's no need to act as though you're angry either. Because, Cloud. You are..." He said._

_Sephiroth stopped, and they were greeted by another Jenova creature. They defeated it with swift ease._

_"Because, you are... a puppet." Jenova finished for Sephiroth._

_"I'm... a puppet?" Cloud asked himself._

_His world spun around him. The Jenova disappeared, and all Cloud was left with was Aeris's lifeless body. He held her close. Tifa and Yuffie ran up. Yuffie stood above her, then turned around abruptly and cried on Cloud's shoulder. She then left. Tifa came up and she bent down. She reached out and stroked Aeris's cold face, her green eyes, eerie and open. She tried holding her tears behind her eyes, but it was no use. They spilled out and she followed Yuffie back down. Cloud held Aeris, and brought her to a deep spot in the water. He folded her arms across her chest and dropped her into the depths. Aeris fell down and rested peacefully on the sand bed._

_Cloud felt like crying, but he knew it would leave a bad impression. So he bottled it up and joined his friends back on the shore._

**End Flashback**

"Tifa?" Cloud asked.

"I... Sorry. I was thinking about the day when Aeris... You know..." Tifa responded.

"I was too... Sorry..." Cloud said.

He turned away from Tifa. He didn't want her to see that he was crying for what was the first time in years.

_A/N_: Whew! That was really long. Sorry... It was bad wasn't it? I KNEW IT.


	3. Chapter 2

**Blue Ocean – Chapter 2**

_By_: Bahamuts AngelVII

_A/N_: Italics means thinking. Yes, it does. Umm… This might suck. Oh and, to you people, this is the revision of my old one. This is going to be longer and more interesting. Thanks. I'm glad I have so many faithful viewers. - Yeah, you might see some OOC-ness, like Tifa being super hyper-active… Later on the Santa Claus remark is NOT meant to offend people... If you're offended.

In the morning, Tifa was awoken by the bright sun. Godo apparently threw back the curtains. Tifa moaned and covered her forehead with her gloved hand. She turned on her side to see Cloud sitting up in his bed. He was rubbing his eyes. He was wearing only boxer shorts. Tifa giggled. He looked over to find her looking at him with a questioning look. He blushed and scratched his head.

"It was hot last night." He muttered.

She nodded and stood up. He watched her from where he sat. Cloud then stood up, and walked with Tifa to the door. She opened it and then turned to Cloud, who was leaning against the thin walls.

"Cloud, I'm gonna go change in the bathroom, okay? You change here and I'll come back when I'm done." Tifa said, and then walked down the hallway.

Cloud simply closed the door and put on the clothing he had with him. He was just finishing putting his shirt on, when Tifa walked in. She immediately jumped back and blushed. She covered her mouth with her hands, and peeked in.

"I'm sorry! I should've knocked." Tifa yelled to Cloud through her hands.

"It's okay, Tif. You can come in anyways. Look. Godo left us a package with meals and some extra clothing." Cloud replied, and he picked up the packages to show what Godo left.

"Really? That's nice of him." Tifa responded. She took one out of Cloud's hand and slung it over her shoulder. He smiled.

"Yeah! Let's go, Cloud!" Tifa laughed.

"Alright. Let's call—" Cloud began, but was interrupted by the shrill ringing of the phone. "Hel—" He started, but was once again interrupted by something that was less than shrill.

"CLOUD, WHERE THE HELL IS YOUR SPIKEY ASS?! Where the hell is Tifa?!" Barrett's voice boomed. Cloud held the phone away so he could properly understand Barrett without getting his eardrums bleeding.

"I, we're in Wutai. We're going to Gold Saucer then to the Ancient city. We'll call you later." Cloud yelled as quickly as he good, and then hung up. The started laughing.

"Come on, are we going? I can't wait to get to Gold Saucer…" Tifa asked, jumping up and down. Before Cloud could reply, she grabbed his arm and ran out of the house.

As they were leaving, Cloud yelled, "Thanks for everything, Godo!" He heard Godo yell a reply but he wasn't sure what it was, because Tifa was already jabbering in his ear.  
When they left Wutai, Tifa looked back, her smile fading. She wondered if she would ever see it again… She shook her head and her benign smile filled her face. She grabbed her Chocobo's reins and mounted.

"Come on, Cloud! Let's go!" She exclaimed, almost bouncing up and down.

"What's the rush, Tif?" Cloud inquired as he slowly mounted his Chocobo. He looked over to see Tifa's hand at her mouth, thinking.

"Silly, we want to get there before dark!" She called, as she was already on the ocean, racing away. Cloud followed.

After an hour, Cloud and Tifa were riding side by side. They reached land, and Cloud went ahead to tease her. They reached the trail that would lead them to Gold Saucer.

Tifa sped down the trail closely following Cloud. The wind whipped around her face, and she smiled tenderly. Cloud looked behind him casually, and he smiled at Tifa, and she smiled back.  
A few hours later, they arrived at Corel, which had been rebuilt. They stopped by a small Chocobo farm, which they could house their Chocobos in for 500 gil a night.  
They paid upfront, and took the tram up to Gold Saucer. The fireworks exploded upon their arrival, and they showed the man working their lifetime ticket. He nodded, showing it was okay for them to go through.

"Let's go to...the arcade!" Tifa exclaimed, pulling Cloud along with her. He didn't say anything, but he just followed her.

"Tifa?"

Tifa whipped around to face Yuffie, who was holding a giant stuffed Chocobo in her arms. Yuffie was grinning widely.

"Won this from a new game." She stated plainly. Tifa and Cloud looked bewildered. They looked at each other, and Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"Yuffie! What are you doing here?" Tifa asked, while turning to face Yuffie again.

"Oh, yah know. Just hanging out." Yuffie responded.

"How did you get in?" Cloud flashed thepass in her face.Yuffie looked at him and smiled even wider.

"It's what ninjas do! Haven't you learned that yet?" She laughed and playfully hit Cloud on the shoulder.

"Well, gotta go before they start looking for me. See ya!" Yuffie said, and she reached into her pocket.

She threw on a fake white beard, and she got questioning looks from Cloud and Tifa.

"It's a DISGUISE!" Yuffie said, and then she jumped off the building.

Tifa laughed and looked at Cloud, who was laughing too. Tifa decided that Yuffie looked like Santa Claus except a Santa Claus with liposuction and that's a female… Maybe Santa got a sex-change? She laughed. How completely opposite of what she thought would happen. She expected Yuffie to have a magical cape or materia that would make her invisible. But instead, she had a mask. How childish, how Yuffie.  
They went up to play the snowboarding game in the building. Cloud put some GP into the slot and stood on the snowboard.

"Woo! Go Cloud!" Tifa cheered him on as Cloud jumped, flipped, and turned his way down the mountain. When he finished, Tifa asked him if she could try.

"Sure."

Tifa hopped on, and Cloud helped her secure her feet to the board. She strapped it on and turned her body to face him. He walked over so it would be easier for Tifa to talk, without twisting her body to face Cloud.

"Ever play before?" He asked her while he walked around to watch.

"Yeah, the first time we came here I played… you know when we all split into pairs, I went with Yuffie and you went with... Aeris..." There was a long period of silence.

"O-oh. Yeah I remember that… Hey look, it's starting!" Cloud looked up.

"Yay!" Tifa laughed and concentrated on the screen.

A few hours later, Tifa and Cloud were finished with their games. They had hogged the snowboarding came for 3 hours. They decided to go to a new restaurant, named Café Shimmer. They ate a dinner consisting of soup, salad, rice, and pork.

"Wow, this is good food." Tifa suddenly said.

"Mmm-hmm. Delicious. I wonder who the chef is." Cloud replied.

As if on cue, the chef came through the swinging door holding a giant cake. Tifa turned red in the face, and buried it in her hands. Cloud almost choked on a piece of food, but he managed not to. The Chef was Yuffie. Surprisingly, no one noticed Yuffie's "disguise", and still thought she was an old man… _Crazy people… _Cloud thought.  
Yuffie brought the cake over and left it on the table. She said it was on the house, and as she turned to leave, she looked over her shoulder.

"Have fun!" she winked at them and went into the kitchen.

When Cloud divided up the cake, he found a small white note covered in little bits of pink frosting. He read it out loud to Tifa.

"_Hey. I was wondering if I could join on your little adventure, at least until we get to rocket town. You don't need to answer. I'll meet both of you in the Ghost Hotel at 11:30 pm. See you then_." Cloud put down the letter on the table, and Tifa glanced at it.

"Should we let her come?" Cloud asked.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Tifa responded.

She picked up the letter and put it in her jacket pocket.  
**  
Later that night**

"Cloud, what time is it?"

"It's about 10 o'clock... do you wanna go on the Gondola with me?" He asked shyly.

"Sure."

They went on the ride in silence, and they both seemed very preoccupied in watching the Chocobo Racers. The fireworks went on, and Tifa could feel tears in her eyes. _Why am I crying?_ Things like these always made her feel a little… sad. She couldn't put her finger on why, though.

"C-cloud?"

"Yeah."

"Did you have fun with Aeris when you went on the Gondola?"

"…"

"…Sorry."

"It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Tifa turned away from Cloud and acted like she was completely immersed in the lights outside. She felt a tapping on her knee. She turned to see Cloud leaning over to see her face.

"Tifa. What's wrong?" Cloud asked her.

"N-nothing… I'm fine." Tifa replied. She wondered how much time was left in the ride.

She felt Cloud looking away, and she was a little relieved, but also disappointed. She then felt his presence next to her. Tifa turned away from the window to face him. She was scared of his bright mako eyes… They looked like they could pierce her, as if they could read all her thoughts. She felt herself falling into him.  
Cloud held her close, and she loved it. She loved him. She wished this moment could last forever, sitting in the arms of the only man she ever loved… The only man she would ever love.

_A/N:_ Yeah, that was kind of pointless and nothing was really going on there… and that ending thing pissed me off but I couldn't think of like... a good ending for the chapter.


	4. Chapter 3

**Blue Ocean - Chapter 3**

_By_: Bahamuts AngelVII

_A/N_: 'Scuse me for a second. OH MY GOSH! My last chapter was horrible I just re-read it and it's so dumb. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Okay onto the story. If you want to suggest some interesting things that would be appreciated because I'm running out of ideas.

Tifa sat in Cloud's arms, watching the lights fly by the window. She wished she could feel this forever. But sadly, the ride came to a close only ten minutes later. They both stepped out of the gondola, and Cloud turned away. She reached out for him.

"Cloud? Are you alright" Tifa turned back and touched his arm lightly.

"… No… No, I'm not. Leave me alone." Cloud replied and turned his head away.

"I…" Tifa started, taken aback by his attitude . "Well, let's go to the hotel... I'm sure Yuffie's waiting for us." Tifa grabbed Cloud's hand and guided him towards the entrance to the hotel.

Cloud let Tifa guide him through the tunnel, because he was thinking… Thinking of Aeris.

**Flashback**

Cloud and the crew popped out of the tunnel one by one, and stared around in amazement. Suddenly, they were overwhelmed by a big pink stuffed… Mog, and a black cat with a megaphone, sitting on top. He approached Cloud and looked at him closely.

"Hey you! What're you lookin' so down for? How 'bout it? Want me to read your fortune? A bright future! A happy future! Oh, but don't hold it against me if it's not a great prediction! Oh, so sorry! I'm a fortune telling machine. The name's... Cait Sith." Cait Sith said.

"You can only read the fortune?" Cloud asked, ready to turn away from the big moogle.

"You kidding? I can find missing things, missing people, anything!" He shouted.

"Then can you tell me where a man named Sephiroth is?" He inquired.

"Sephiroth, right? Okay, here goes!" Cait said, and he started to do a strange dance.

"What the hell…?" Barret said to himself.

After a few misshapen tries, Cait Sith finally pulled out one and handed it to Cloud.

_What you pursue will be yours. But you will lose something dear._

"Hmm… I've never gotten a fortune like this before…" Cait Sith remarked.

However, Cait Sith merely tossed the fortune aside, and kept drawing more. Cloud forgot about the fortune a minute after he threw it away, but little did he know it would soon come back to haunt him.

**End of Flashback**

Cloud felt a chill go down his spine, and he soon fell into another memory, this time of when Aeris finally died.

**Flashback**

Cloud was walking up the glittering stone steps placed high above the crystal clear water. It was all silent, and only his footsteps were heard as he made his way to Aeris.  
She was kneeling at the altar, her light brown hair swaying slightly. Cloud looked at Aeris's closed eyes. He took out his sword... and was about to strike Aeris, when Tifa's voice cried out.

"Cloud! What do you think you're doing"

Cloud shook his head and lowered his sword. At that moment, Aeris opened her beautiful eyes and gazed into Cloud's mako colored orbs. A gentle smiled played on her lips.

"Cloud... I knew you'd come for me."

"Aeris..."

Aeris's smile was frozen on her lips. Cloud reached out for Aeris... time seemed to stand still. Sephiroth's masamune was deep in Aeris's back. He was laughing... his hands to his side, Aeris, her smile still there, Cloud, sword in hand. Tifa and Yuffie who were waiting below were unmoving. For a moment, everything in the world seemed frozen, like all space and time was stopped. Tifa's hands were at her mouth, tears swelling in her eyes. Yuffie, who was normally spunky and cheery, was solemn.  
Suddenly, Yuffie fell onto the ground where Tifa hugged her. Aeris's hands fell to her sides, and the white material bounced its way to the deep water. Sephiroth's cold laugh rang through Cloud's ears...  
_  
Hahahahahaha..._

Aeris looked at Cloud's eyes again, her vision growing dim. She felt herself crying... Cloud reached for her. She smiled.

_Cloud... I love you. Wait for me... and I'll wait for you._

**End Flashback**

"Cloud" Tifa asked again.

"I'm okay..."

They both paused awkwardly for a second, and then Cloud grinned. Tifa could tell it was forced.

"Let's go." Cloud pulled Tifa along.

As they reached the entrance of the hotel, Yuffie was already waiting for them. "Hi, guys" Yuffie called as they neared the entrance.

"So..." Yuffie started, but was interrupted by Cloud.

"Yuffie, let's get some sleep."

"Okay..."

Yuffie glanced over at Tifa who had tears in her eyes.

"Tifa..." Yuffie followed Tifa up the stairs, as Cloud had already disappeared into his room down the hall. She felt arms around her... Yuffie hugged her.

"Sorry, Yuffie. I just realized... Cloud doesn't love me, at all... Well I guess I always knew… But…" Tifa faced her doorway and opened it. She turned and was about to close it, but Yuffie used her body to block it. Tifa tried to push Yuffie away, but she finally gave in and let herself fall against the doorframe.

"It's okay, Tifa... you'll find someone else... He's not meant for you. You can't be stuck on this one guy forever… Tifa, trust me, there are other people. You just have to stick it out until you find the right on… I'm gonna go to bed now..." Yuffie trudged to her own room and closed the door.

Tifa stood up and ran over to her closet. She packed her clothes, and ran out of the hotel, wiping tears from her face. _He's better off without me anyways_... She bit her lip to keep herself from fully crying. She whipped past Reno, who was formerly of the Turks, and knocked him over.

"I'm so sorry! ... Reno" Tifa forgot about Cloud and helped him up.

"Haha... it's okay Tifa... Heh-heh... where's Cloud" Reno was totally different now that he wasn't out to kill them.

"Oh... he, he..." Tifa started crying over and over again.

"...He's still caught up on Aeris, isn't he" Reno put his arm around her.

"Yeah..." Tifa hugged Reno and stood up.

"He loves her... So I'm going to go and try to find Aeris, and make Cloud happy." Tifa said, and then asked him a question. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to find Yuffie. See you later, Tif." Reno waved and jumped into the tunnel labeled "Hotel".

_So Yuffie is going to have a happy ending too... Why don't I?_ Tifa felt even more depressed, and she hung her head. When she left Gold Saucer, she noticed the fireworks going off in the distance. She walked through the silent town of North Corel and wrapped her arms around herself, and the freezing wind wrapped around her bare arms and legs. She shivered and walked onward towards the entrance to North Corel.  
When she reached the entrance, she called for her Chocobo.

"Goldie! Goldie" Tifa yelled.

She swiveled around, her chocolate hair blowing in the wind. Her hair came undone and she had to hold it to keep it away from her frowning face. She was starting to get worried that her Chocobo hadn't showed up yet. She looked around at the mountains, and saw a yellow bird a mile away eating some grass.  
Tifa started running and calling her Chocobo's name. When she arrived at her Chocobo, she found it curled in the grass sleeping. _Well, no wonder..._ Tifa bent down and petted Goldie. The bird stirred and looked up at Tifa. Tifa smiled and brought Goldie up.

"Hi there, Goldie." Tifa said and then she got up on Goldie.

With a "Wark", Goldie set off in the direction of Bone Village. The Ocean sprayed against Tifa's face and arms. This time the ocean sprinkled freezing pellets of water onto her face instead of the light sprinkle that she had been sprayed with before.  
Tifa slowed Goldie down to a walk, so she could enjoy the night sky. The black sky matched with the white moon and the sparkling stars reflected on the deep blue ocean. Tifa watched the reflection of the sky blur and mix together when Goldie ran by. She wistfully gazed at the twinkling stars. Tifa felt sadness... she was never good at being alone. Tifa wished so much that Cloud would return her feelings, but she knew Aeris had his heart.  
Tifa looked up and spotted Bone Village in the distance. _Aeris, I've given up on Cloud._ When Tifa arrived, she quietly tied Goldie to a tree. She walked through the village, and entered the Forbidden Forest. The crystalline forest was silent and dead-looking at night. Tifa shuddered and walked down the old stairs. When she arrived at the path to the city below, she stopped. She walked over to where... Aeris was buried. _Aeris..._ Tifa walked towards where Cloud dropped Aeris's body into the water. She gazed down and saw the dim outline of Aeris. Tifa didn't know what came over her, but she dove down into the water.

The lukewarm water swirled around her, sending warm chills down her spine. She didn't feel the need to breath, and she felt somewhat happy. She didn't know why, but she enjoyed the warmth of the water. She smiled until she saw Aeris. Aeris' figure was still, only her hair and clothes moving with the water as Tifa swam closer. She was perfectly preserved, the body of an angel. Tifa cried, and she felt her tears leaving her eyes.  
Aeris's emerald eyes were closed, her hands folded gracefully on her chest. Tifa covered her face and swam up to the surface. When she got closer, the surface didn't seem right. Tifa reached out with her hand and felt... ice. The water had frozen, and Tifa was going to drown soon if she didn't get air. She was good at holding her breath; she could hold it for ten minutes, a world record. Tifa felt herself longing for air, and soon, she knew she would gasp for breath and then suck in water. _Will I meet my death here too? I don't want to die... I have so much to live for... Let me see Cloud... Let me see him one more time..._ Tifa put her hands against the surface and pushed, but after five minutes she felt herself going unconscious. _Cloud..._ She looked once more at the arctic surface, and then everything went black.

**Meanwhile...**

"Cloud! CLOUD" Yuffie pounded on Cloud's door. She didn't care how much noise she was making, she just needed to talk to Cloud.

Cloud mumbled something about "respect" and then answered the door.

"What, Yuffie" Cloud leaned against the door nonchalantly, seemingly busy with the dirt under his nails.

"Tifa's missing" Yuffie cried out.

Cloud immediately stood straight and grabbed Yuffie by the shoulders. He ran towards Tifa's room, closely followed by Yuffie. He burst through Tifa's door to find her closet opened and her bed in disarray. He looked around the room and commanded Yuffie to do the same.

"Okay, okay... Hey, Cloud? What do ya suppose this is" Yuffie held up a letter.

"A letter! For me" Cloud ripped it out of Yuffie's hand and sat on the bed. Yuffie looked over his shoulder as he read the letter.

_Cloud, _

I know you probably could care less about where I am, but I just wanted you to know something… I love you, not just as a friend, but more. I know you love Aeris, and I went to go find her for you. I just want you to be happy, don't look for me. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble.

Love,

Tifa

Cloud stared at the letter in disbelief. He re-read the part that said _I love you, not just as a friend, but more._ Over and over, he kept reading. Finally, it sunk in. _She's going to give herself up!_ Cloud dropped the letter and grabbed Yuffie's arm.

"We have to go find her" Cloud said, leading her backwards to the stairs.

"Where do we go" Yuffie asked.

"The City of the Ancients." Cloud was already down the stairs, walking out the door, when Yuffie started going down the staircase.

"But Cloud... I don't have a Chocobo" Yuffie called.

Yuffie sprinted down the stairs and tackled Cloud out the front door, who just stumbled forwards.

"Oh... you can ride my Chocobo with me then" Cloud said.

Suddenly, Reno appeared in front of them, casual and relaxed, his sexy grin spreading across his face.

"That won't be necessary. I can take Yuffie there on my Gold Chocobo." Reno said, running his hand through his flaming hair.

"Reno" Yuffie ran and hugged him.

"Okay, but if you guys are coming we'd better leave now" Cloud yelled as he jumped into the tube.

Cloud wondered if Yuffie and Reno were secretly dating during their journey. _I don't have time to wonder about someone else's love life. I have my own to worry about. _Cloud impatiently tapped his knees as the trolley took them down to North Corel. When they finally arrived at the outskirts of town, Cloud called for his Chocobo and mounted it.

"You guys ready" Cloud asked at the shore.

"Yeah, of course." Reno replied.

"Okay... let's go." Cloud said.

Reno, Cloud, and Yuffie set off across the ocean to find Tifa, and hopefully save her from a horrible fate.

_A/N_: … I know, this is bad. Thanks for reviewing. Yes, Reno is sexy.


	5. Chapter 4

**Blue Ocean - Chapter 4**

_By_: Bahamuts AngelVII

_A/N_: Any ideas?

**Chapter 4**

Cloud sped across the ocean, pushing his Chocobo faster and faster. Reno strained his Chocobo to catch up to Cloud. He raised his hand and waved to Cloud.

"Hey, Cloud! Can we slow it down a bit! I don't think my Chocobo can take this." He yelled out. Cloud nodded and slowed down to a better pace.

Cloud, Reno, and Yuffie were still miles away from Bone Village, which left them all to think about Tifa.  
_Tifa... Where are you? I want you to be with me... Tifa you were with me all the time... … I can't lose you now. I know I took you for granted but… I… _When Cloud reached Bone Village, he quickly dismounted his Chocobo, and turned to see Reno and Yuffie copying his actions. He motioned them to hurry, and then he ran ahead through the village. He entered the Sleeping Forest, and he was carrying the Lunar Harp. The forest glistened and sparkled as it came alive, and Cloud wondered how Tifa got through. He wondered if she did get through.

**Underwater**

Tifa's body was floating at the surface, and the oxygen left her body. Tifa saw a bright white light. She started to run... float towards it. She entered the light, and felt herself falling... falling through nothing. She wondered how she was breathing, and then she realized she wasn't at all. _Is this... the other side? Do I fall forever?_ Tifa wondered what would be on the other end. She looked down and saw a small gray altar. _Is that... where Aeris died? _Tifa saw a figure kneeling down. Tifa's eyes widened, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. _Oh. My. Gosh. It's... Aeris._

Tifa felt her body land gracefully upon the altar. She felt as though she was on a floating island, and wondered if it tipped. She didn't know what to do, so she just stood there for a little while, watching Aeris kneel over in prayer. Suddenly, Aeris appeared beside her.

"Tifa…" She said.

"Aeris! Aeris! Aeris… Aeris… Wow… I never thought I'd be talking to you again… I'm so happy! You're here… Aeris I've missed you so much! So has Cloud," Tifa said, her voice getting quieter with every word, "Cloud… Cloud loves you, you know… Take good care of him. He's really special to me."

"Yeah… Yeah, Cloud is so special. Does that mean… Does it mean, you want to… give yourself up?" Aeris asked, a strange grin spreading on her face.

"Yes… I'm willing to give myself up for you."

"Good. Let us begin."

**Beach**

"Reno! Yuffie! Let's go! Tifa might be still in here." Cloud yelled to them as they crossed into the forest. He shot off and ran into the depths of the woods.

"Tifa! TIFA!" Yuffie yelled, peering behind the trees.

Reno waited and followed Yuffie.

"Tifa! Tifa where are you?" Reno called, when Yuffie stopped.

"Tifa! Tifa? Tifa! Tifa are you there?" Cloud shouted.

"Maybe she passed through! Look! See? Footprints!" Yuffie yelled, and she stooped down low to get a look at the prints.

"Hmmm... Yuffie can you tell? It might be one of our tracks..." Reno asked, while he knelt down besides her.

"They belong to Tifa! Look, they're boot prints! And there's that little indent thing that Tifa told me about a while ago while we were in Cosmo Canyon! Let's go! COME ON CLOUD!" Yuffie said, pulling along Cloud. He seemed a little stunned and let Yuffie and Reno pull him along.

Cloud figured that Tifa got through, so he motioned Reno and Yuffie to follow him to the city. When he got to the fish that he had to pass through, he gulped and looked at his friends.

"Guys… Thanks for coming with me. I'm going to go on ahead… I need to speak to Tifa alone. If I need you, I'll call you okay?" Cloud asked, mostly making a statement.

Yuffie was about to object and say that she wanted to come too, but the look in Cloud's eyes stopped her. Reno glanced from Yuffie to Cloud. He elbowed Yuffie and held her by the waist. It was the perfect couple picture. Cloud felt sad, and then he remembered: Tifa.

"Okay, Cloud. Call us later." Reno replied, and he sad down on the bench.

As Cloud was passing through, he heard Yuffie's words, "I hope that he'll be alright." Cloud shook his head. They should be more worried about Tifa.

Cloud stepped into the entryway to the city. He looked around and saw the icy surface. He walked, and then ran over to the edge, and saw a dark figure in the center about the spot where he dropped Aeris.

_Aeris? Is that you? _Cloud ran towards the dark figure, and he tried not to slip around on the ice. When he got closer, he realized it wasn't Aeris, but Tifa.

**Alternate Universe Altar**

"So, Aeris. What do I do first?" Tifa asked, her voice coming out shaky.

"Ahh... yes. Here." Aeris handed Tifa a blue-pink materia. It glistened and slowly vibrated as it came to life. Aeris explained that it switched lives, the person giving up their life with their hands on top, the other on the bottom.

The materia started to slowly expand as Tifa held it in her hands. She felt herself slowly losing energy, and saw the orb growing brighter and brighter

"Are you ready to officially begin?" Aeris questioned. Tifa could feel Aeris' hands on the bottom of the materia.

"Okay... I'm ready," Tifa closed her eyes and focused all her life energy to the materia, when she opened her mouth to speak again. "Wait, Aeris, how come it has to be me?"

"It doesn't. I just wanted you out of my way."

Aeris positioned herself on the other side, holding the materia from the bottom. Aeris's body began to glow, her skin brightening, as Tifa's grew paler and paler. Tifa felt her legs going numb. Her body started growing weak and limp, and she knew that it would all be over soon. She would be a restless spirit traveling the Earth, waiting for Cloud, her one love.

She tried to think of all the happy times she had with Cloud, with everyone. She remembered when she first saw Cloud, how happy she'd been. She remembered Yuffie, being the pest that she was, and she couldn't help but smile. Cid and Barrett had always made her laugh, and Cait Siths' snide remarks always made Tifa giggle. She even remembered when she first met Aeris. Tifa felt like she should be mad at Aeris right now, but all she was just sad. She couldn't believe Aeris couldn't trust her. Didn't she know that if Aeris wanted her to, Tifa would just stay away from Cloud? Didn't Aeris know that all Tifa wanted was for Cloud to be happy?

Her body started turning to stone, starting with her feet, traveling all the way to her face. Right before she completely turned to stone, one last sparkling tear escaped her eyes. _So I guess this is how it was meant to be... There's no turning back now… I…_ She was now a stone statue, holding the glowing blue-pink materia. Her figure still, lifeless, and her one perfect tear frozen on her cheek.

**Aeris's Burial Grounds**

"Tifa! NO!" Cloud put his hands against the surface and saw that Tifa's face was pressed against it. _Is there time? Is there? There has to be… _

"Reno! Yuffie! Come over here! Tifa is trapped under the ice. I need you to help me use Fire to unfreeze it!" Cloud shouted, and Reno and Yuffie came running over. They slid onto the ice and used their magic to thaw the ice.

After a while, the ice melted, and Tifa's face rose to the surface. Her skin was awfully white, and her body was cold. Cloud moved her hair away from her face and looked for a pulse. _Come on… Please, Tifa. I'd give anything to bring you back… _Cloud bent his head to Tifa's and held her close. Yuffie was crying and Reno was hugging her. Even Reno had tears in his eyes, even if it was unnoticeable. Cloud hugged Tifa and cried.

"I'm going down there." Cloud said. He stood up and let Tifa slid onto the ice.

"Take good care of her... She'll come back. I know she will." Cloud said as he pointed towards Tifa's lifeless body.

Cloud dove into the clear water and swam downwards towards Aeris's body. _Aeris... I see you at last, my love. _Cloud dove deeper and touched Aeris's face lightly. _I love you, Aeris. _Then, Cloud felt himself going faint. _What's happening? Where am I going? _Cloud started falling through nothing, following in Tifa's path. _Tifa was here... I can feel it._

Cloud saw the altar, Aeris, and the statue of Tifa. When he reached the altar, he ran to hug Aeris. He embraced her warmly, and he kissed her.

"Aeris... Aeris?... I love you." Cloud said, tears springing to his eyes. He momentarily forgot about Tifa.

"Cloud! I knew you would come for me. My bodyguard. I'm alive now, and I'm ready to go back to the real world." Aeris was smiling, but it faded when Cloud remembered Tifa.

"Wait... Where's Tifa? Is that... Is that Tifa?" Cloud's hand trembled as he pointed towards the statue of Tifa.

"It's what's left of Tifa. What did you see in her anyways?" Aeris asked, her arms crossed.

"She's my friend... Aeris, how can you say that? Tifa was always trying to befriend you." Cloud said, his eyes narrowing.

"No, no. she wanted to steal you away from me! Didn't you see her? Every time I was with you, she… She was so jealous! Didn't you see… DIDN'T YOU! You saw… Cloud how… Why do you love her? She's nothing! You love me!" Aeris replied, taking a step closer.

"But I... I can't live without Tifa! She's my best friend! But Aeris," Cloud's voice got quiet, almost a whisper "Aeris couldn't… Couldn't you see? Tifa and I, Tifa and I are best… Were best friends. I thought you would see, see that we're best friends."

"So young, so naive. Cloud, that was the only way! I love you Cloud, and you love me! What does it matter?" Aeris hugged Cloud.

"You're right..." Cloud said.

"I can destroy Tifa's body right here and now, so she never has a chance of coming back..." Aeris offered, she took out her staff.

"Wait, no. Replace your body with Tifa's, so hers can rest forever in peace in your place."

"Good idea..."

Cloud knelt down and examined Tifa. She looked perfect to him, but then he noticed something as he looked over her face and her hair. He noticed something small on her cheek. He looked at it closely and realized it was her tear. His insides were shaken, and he remembered how much he really did love Tifa, if only as a friend. She had been there for him all the times he needed her most... _I can't throw her away... after everything she's done for me... I won't let it end like this._ Cloud stood up and turned to face Aeris.

"Aeris... I don't want to give up Tifa."

"It is really the only way, Cloud. It's either me, or her. Think about it. Do you really love Tifa? You love me! You even said so. Cloud, I'm just trying to help you... Who do you pick, Cloud?" Aeris asked.

"You know I love you, Aeris... I really do. I love you and that will never change!"

"So, who? You can only have one of us. Not both. One. Who do you love? Who do you want to be with the rest of your life!" Aeris asked, growing impatient once again.

Cloud gazed down at his hands, with tears streaming down his face. He looked up at Aeris and could only choke out two words. "I pick…"


	6. Chapter 5

**Blue Ocean – Chapter 5**

_By_: Bahamuts AngelVII

_A/N:_ She's supposed to come off as a … haha but you'll see what happens in the end. Italics means thoughts, and during flashbacks I've decided to put it in italics too, WITHOUT quotes. I'm totally going over the edge.

**Chapter 5**

"I sure hope Cloud's alright. Do you think so, Reno?" Yuffie turned to ask. She put her hands on her arms. The air had become distinctively chilly. Reno took off his jacket and put it on Yuffie.

"I think they'll be alright... I wonder what'll happen to Tifa."

"Yeah... Reno, can we... Can we go to where Aeris died? I want to see the place where she died…"

"Yeah." Yuffie leaned into Reno and he held her as they walked on the crystal-like stairs that lead down to the small but beautiful altar.

When Reno and Yuffie reached the small stone steps that led up to the spot where Aeris died, Yuffie was flooded with sad memories. Her eyes were moist and she hugged Reno avidly. He held her and whispered in her ear. She sniffled and cried as Reno hugged her close.

"Shh... It's going to be okay, Yuffie. Let's focus on what we're here to do… What the hell?"

Yuffie lifted up her head and wiped her eyes. She turned to see what Reno was looking at, and she saw a re-enactment of when Aeris died. Yuffie thought it was actually Aeris, but then she saw that Aeris, Cloud, and Sephiroths' images were flickering. She looked behind her and saw Tifa and herself running forward.

"Is that...?" Reno asked her.

"Yeah..."

Yuffie gathered Reno's hands and let go. He reached out for her, but then he decided not to. She walked closer, and her footsteps echoed loudly. Someone's voice started speaking.

"Who is that?" Reno asked.

"It sounds a lot like Aeris... But she wasn't talking like that... Was that what she was thinking?" Yuffie asked herself.

"You're acting very mature, Yuffie." Reno said.

Yuffie laughed half-heartedly and listened to what Aeris was saying.

_I never thought this would be the end... I was looking forward to Cloud... Becoming friends with Tifa... I love Cloud, and he loves me... We'll be together, I know it... One day... It hurts, but I can't let Cloud know I'm in so much pain... If he knows… He would think it was all his fault… But I love him…_

Yuffie felt a surge of emotions going through her; she felt the need to cry. Yuffie spun around and bounded back to Reno, who held her with his strong arms. He patted her hair and held her tight. After a few moments, Yuffie looked back up with tears in her eyes, and watched the death of Aeris, again.

Reno and Yuffie watched the flickering images of Aeris disappear into thin air. She whipped around to see her and Tif's images fade away too. She grabbed the edges of Reno's coat and shook him over-excitedly, mumbling words quickly.

"You'll have to slow down, Yuffie. I can't understand you!" Reno shouted over Yuffie.

"Oopsie, sorry. I was saying that we have to-to go, uh, to, um, Uhhhh…" Yuffie stumbled over her words, and Reno put his hands on both her shoulders.

"Spit it out!"

"Uh! Okay, so. We have to go to where Cloud put Aeris into the little pond type thing, and we have to dive down. You know, like Cloud did! We have to tell him about what Aeris said! We have to," Yuffie screamed, "or else we won't know what Cloud will really do!"

"But Yuff… Don't we want him to go with Tifa?" Reno asked.

"Well, yeah, I mean, well, it's who HE wants, not what we want. If we don't tell him about this and then he finds out later somehow, you know he'll never forgive us! Let's go!" Yuffie yelled behind her, as she was already leaving the room.

When they saw Tifa's limp, and pale, body lying still on the surface, Reno moved her over to the side and laid her down gently. He ran back over to Yuffie who was busy studying the hole in the ice, looking for Aeris under the watery surface.

"Hey! There!" Yuffie yelled.

Reno dived in first and Yuffie came after him. They swam down as fast as they could. When Reno reached Aeris, he motioned his hand to Yuffie. She nodded and swam closer. They touched her hands and found themselves going through the same things as Tifa.

When they reached the altar, Yuffie stepped down, followed by Reno who jumped onto the platform. They heard an odd chattering sound, as if there was a studio audience.

"Cloud!" They both yelled together.

"What? Yuffie! Reno!" Cloud waved and ran to meet them.

"…What are they doing here! This isn't… They're messing it up!" Aeris turned and faced them, mumbling under her breath.

"Aeris! Where's Tifa?" Yuffie asked.

Aeris angrily pointed at the statue of Tifa. Yuffie gaped at the stone statue of Tifa, and ran over to the statue. Then she turned around and her eyes narrowed at Aeris.

"What'd ya do! Why did you do this to Tifa!"

"She deserved it. She stole my Cloud."

"I'm not yours, Aeris." Cloud interjected.

"What? I thought you said you loved me too."

"I do, Aeris! But..."

"There shouldn't be anything to think about Cloud. Just decide. You know who you really want, but you're forcing yourself to believe something." Reno cut in.

_He's right..._Cloud looked down at his shoes and put his hand to his chin. He then looked up and took a step towards Aeris.

"Aeris… Listen to me," Cloud started, and suddenly all the "chatter" died away, leaving an eerie silence. Everyone started listening to Cloud. "Aeris… You know… You know that I love you, right? You know that you mean everything to me. You… You are my life! My light of my life! You know ever since we met, I've felt like I could connect with you! Aeris, you are exactly what I want. But…" He trailed off.

"But what!" Aeris glared.

"Tifa… Tifa was something special to me. She's my best friend ever, and I can't imagine my life without her. Though you are my special light, Tifa is my… is my star. She's… she's so different, so, so… I don't know… I just love her. I love her so much. She's my best friend, and she's always loved me, no matter what. She loves me, so much, I know… I know she always will."

"That's not true! I love you too! I love you the most! I..." Aeris looked up and saw Cloud, Yuffie and Reno staring at her. She felt anger flare up and she ran over to Tifa's statue.

"I won't let it go! I love you! Not Tifa!" Aeris raised her staff above her head and brought it as hard as she could onto the top of Tifa's head.

"NOOOOO!" Cloud yelled, and ran over. He knocked Aeris aside, but then helped her up again.

"Aeris, you have to understand! I love you Aeris! This is, this choice, is only something I can understand. You have to believe me! You have to… You have to believe me."

"I..." Aeris suddenly fell forward and onto the ground.

"Aeris!"

Cloud ran forward and cradled Aeris in his arms. He stroked her bangs back, and held his head close to hers. Suddenly, her emerald eyes flew open.

"Cloud…? Where the heck are we…?"

"Maybe she was possessed... "Yuffie said.

"I, I think… I can't remember anything! What in the world…?" Aeris reached up and touched Cloud's face.

"I think you were possessed by yourself..." Cloud answered.

Cloud pushed away some more of her bangs, and kissed her lightly on the forehead, and smiled at her. She smiled back.

"What do you mean, Cloud?"

"What I mean… What I mean is that, you know. How there was always a love triangle between us," Cloud motioned to the three, Tifa, Aeris, and himself. "I think that part of Aeris didn't want Tifa to be happy. I'm sorry, that sounds really mean. But, I think it's what happened."

"But, I don't really feel like that."

"I know you don't Aeris, but there is a small hidden part of you..."

"It may not seem like I know a lot, but I do, from working with Hojo for so long," Reno interrupted, "I think that when Sephiroth pierced her with his sword, some of his evilness joined with her... Or something... I don't know. Hojo was talking about it, but I didn't really pay any attention to him... 'Cause, you know... he's a crazy lunatic."

"Cloud, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do anything... What did I do?"

"Look at Tifa..." Yuffie pointed.

"I think I know why I did that... I'm jealous... Tifa always had your attention, no matter what. I'm so sorry, Cloud..."

"Really, Aeris. Don't apologize. You know I love you… Don't make this harder than it is. But really…"

"What's wrong, Cloud?" Aeris moved her face within inches of Cloud's.

"I love Tifa too."

The silence was deafening, and no one moved an inch, except for Aeris. Cloud could feel her breathing tense, a small gasp escape her perfect lips.

"I… I'll give her back to you." Aeris finally managed in the quietist whisper. Her breathing shook, and Cloud could feel tears coming to his eyes, and he knew that Aeris was going to cry too.

"…Aeris…"

"Cloud… Cloud…" Aeris choked out, her eyes blurring with tears. She stood up and walked to Tifa.

Aeris sat down across of Tifa. She placed white materia in her frozen hands, and put her own on top of Tifa's. She muttered a few Ancient words, and then closed her eyes.

"Aeris…" Cloud felt feelings of sadness even I, the creator of this story, could not describe. _My love for you can not be said in words, but can only be seen by those who have truly felt love… _

Aeris glowed brightly, and it slowly faded away, until she was just a dim outline of a figure.

"Cloud. I love you. Never forget, I will always love you. Be happy with Tifa, do not put her aside."

"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do… Good-bye…" Cloud said. _This wasn't the only hardest thing… It's just a repeat of before… I…_

Aeris opened her eyes and smiled at Cloud before she disappeared from sight. Tifa was now fully awake, and she looked around. The frozen tear disappeared and Tifa tried standing up. Her body was already stiff, and she had a hard time getting her joints to work. Cloud came over and held her elbow.

"Cloud? Yuffie? Reno? ... Where's Aeris? Is she alright?"

"Shh... Tifa... She's gone to the great beyond. She's fine... She's gone..."

Cloud shook and then started to cry, and Tifa held him in her arms. She rested her head on his, and he wrapped his arms around her. Reno reached for Yuffie and pulled her close to whisper in her ear.

"I think we'd better go, come on, Yuffie."

Yuffie and Reno turned around and held hands and started disappearing in the same manner Aeris did. Yuffie turned her head around to watch Tifa and Cloud before they disappeared out of sight.

"Cloud... I'm so sorry. I, I just wanted you two to be happy! I mean, it's obvious you would've wanted her more than me! I must've messed up somehow! I'm so sorry…" Tifa cried.

"No, Tifa. It's not your fault. Don't be sorry, just remember it's not your fault. If you keep thinking it is, you will never be happy. Tifa, nothing went wrong."

"I… What?"

"I told her that I wanted you."

"You wanted… me?" Tifa said, her words coming out slow and uncertain. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. _Could he really love me?__ Could he really…_

"Tifa, yes. Yes! I wanted you."

"Cloud… Let's go."

Tifa and Cloud also disappeared into a blinding white light. They reappeared on the blood-spattered altar where Aeris was stabbed. Tifa turned to go down the stairs, but Cloud grabbed her hand.

"Huh?" Tifa said, and she jerked back around to face Cloud.

"Thank you, Tifa."

"I didn't do anything Cloud."

"Yes, yes you did."

"No, not really."

"Tifa, you know. I would never be here if it weren't for you."

"What are you talking about, Cloud?"

"The lifestream… Mideel. It was thanks to you I got back here."

Tifa was taken aback. She blinked dumbly and finally reached out and put Cloud's face between her palms. She took a few steps closer to him, as if they were about to kiss.

"Cloud, you don't need to thank me. I need to tell you something..."

"Yeah?"

Tifa looked away and laughed, one of those fake laughs that people force themselves to push out. She knew Aeris had said it many times before and probably even said it when she was on a date with Cloud.

"I..."

"Tifa?"

"I… I love you. I always have, since we were little kids. I love you, Cloud. And, and ever since Aeris appeared, I knew I had no chance. I just didn't want to see it…"

Tifa turned to leave. She didn't want to hear Cloud speak words of rejections to her, although undoubtedly (In her mind) Cloud was going to.

"Tifa! Wait!" His words echoed into the blackness, and Tifa froze. She spun around and looked at Cloud.

"Tifa. I love you too. When we were kids, remember? At the well? Don't you remember… the promise?" Cloud asked her, his voice lowering to a soft voice.

_The promise…_

**Flashback**

_Sorry I'm late. You said you wanted to talk about something?_

_Come this spring... I'm leaving this town for Midgar._

_...All boys are leaving our town._

_But I'm different from all of them. I'm not just going to find a job. I want to join SOLDIER. I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth!_

_Sephiroth... The Great Sephiroth. Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER?_

_...I probably won't be able to come back to this town for a while._

_Will you be in the newspapers if you do well?_

_I'll try._

_Hey, why don't we make a promise? Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind… You'll come and save me, alright?_

_What?_

_Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to at least experience that once._

_What?_

_Come on! Just promise me._

_All right... I promise._

**End Flashback.**

"Oh, Cloud. Of course I remember! But… Now you've fulfilled your promise. You don't have to come and save me anymore. I'll just go and I wont be a burden anymore." Tifa said.

"No! You don't get what I'm saying, do you? I'm saying that now I've fulfilled my promise, I can't let anything happen to you! And there's only one way to make sure that never happens… I want to be with you."

"Tifa… I love you." He said quietly.

Tifa smiled the biggest smile ever, and she reached out to hug him. _Cloud… You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear those words…_ Cloud pushed her away and brushed back her hair, as Tifa had seem him do so many times to Aeris. But this time, this time he was doing it to her, this time it was for her. She let her smile go loose, and she reached out and bravely kissed him.

"Cloud," Tifa said breathlessly, "You don't know how long I've wanted you to say that."

Cloud kissed Tifa again.

"Tifa, let's go. I want to leave this behind. Not Aeris, but everything else… All the bad memories."

"Alright."

Meanwhile, Aeris watched them from above, hovering in the evening sky. She was holding her flower basket, as well as a beautiful tulip. She smiled down at them, happy that finally everyone could move on. _He knows how much I love him, and now we can both move on. _

"Aeris!"

Aeris turned around, facing a door. The door led to the lifestream, where all the spirits lived. She turned to see Zack. Zack, her long lost love. _At least all of us will have a happy ending._Zack held out his arm, and Aeris took it. They smiled at each other, and as the sun set onto them, they both disappeared back into the lifestream.  
Tifa and Cloud turned to leave. They walked out of bone village and got on their Chocobos. Without talking, they started walking, then running toward the ocean. The sunset was blazing, and after one brief kiss, Tifa and Cloud set off. Tifa watched the evening sun turn the ocean orange, red, and yellow. The starry, cloudless, sky showed a giant full moon hovering above them. And as Tifa sat on her chocobo, she couldn't help but admire the beautiful, endless, blue ocean.

**The End**

_A/N_: How'd you like it? Please review! I really want to know what you guys thought so next time I can make changes


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